Any nurses out there? Can I have a quick word?

I am about to do my return to practice course (Sept 2012) and between now and then I would like to get a bit of reading in as I have been out of practice for 9 year .

Can you recommend me a good all round journal? It always used to be either the Nursing Times or the Professional nurse and maybe a good text book for a bit of bedtime reading? I still have my Watsons!!! Any good pocket books that might come in handy for when I start work?

Hi everyone. I'm just gearing up to apply for a RtP course at UWE in June next year. Deadline is March, and interviews start then. I will have been out of nursing for 10 years when the course starts. I am very excited! Have chosen my shoes .

I have my Nmc proof of reg and lapse in the post to me, both my referees lined up. Just have to arrange placement and fill in and send off application form now. Am paranoid I won't get on the course, though, for some reason.

I am also wondering about doing some hca work on the ward I eventually want to work on - what do you think about that idea? Helpful or a hindrance?

I live in se london. I am applying to universities, but they won't accept me unless I have a clinical placement set up. I am seriously trying to find a placement and I am struggling. I am kicking myself for giving up nursing and that is the biggest regret I have.

I am so jealous, I am calling hospitals, ringing PCT's and calling universities. But unless I have a clinical placement sorted, then my dreams of returning back to nursing becomes a distant dream. I am so deflated as I really want to go back into nursing but not having a clinical placement is stopping me from doing this. Oh I live in SE London.

CarnivorousPanda - thanks. I think I will. The woman I spoke to the other day who is in charge of one of the RtP courses I am applying to said that it can help to get a placement if you're known already as an HCA. Will apply for jobs after Christmas I think. Can't even contemplate it right now though - have been completely wiped out after donating blood for the first time yesterday evening!

The woman also told me that it's easier to get a placement if you're RtP place is funded (mine probably won't be). Does that mean it's possible to get a placement by offering to pay for it?

Flamingo - I worked as an HCA before starting the RtP course then did my placement on the same ward. Was very helpful as knew the staff routine etc so could concentrate on the course and learning when doing RtP hours.

I did my RtP in 2009 ,best thing I did. Now have a fab job in the community and love it.

Called the nurse bank - they're oversubscribed with HCAs! So won't get a place until Feb/March time...which is when one of the courses I've applied to may start. Will keep my fingers crossed it'll happen sooner.

I did resist the urge to say 'yeah, but you should snap me up as I'll be way better than most as I'm actually a trained nurse!'

x-benedict I can't believe your finished, that was so quick. How many competencies do you have to do? My start date was delayed due to MRSA swabbing. However (drumroll please) I started yesterday and have a late tomorrow. Spent the first day in shock but on reflection I felt a lot of the care came back really easily. Had mixed feelings yesterday as to why I was doing this course but I think that was just me getting worked up. Really looking forward to tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all. Im working in Nottingham/Mansfield area. Takes just under an hour to get there but its only for a short while so its bearable. That said I love the hospital and would like to work there if I get my pin back. Each shift gets better and more enjoyable and I continually surprise myself with the knowledge that has been buried.

Firstly I got myself worked up about the test and it turned out to be not so bad. The first thing to remember is that you do not pass or fail your RTP course based on it. Our tutor said it is just an exercise for you to highlight your weak areas. Ours was graded Green, Amber and Red. To achieve a Red you had to get 100%, Amber above 75% and Red below 75%. The majority of the course got Amber. One example we had was working out insulin. It asked if you had 50 units in 50 mls how many units would you give between 9 and 12 based on the prescription. We all put 8 units which was mathematically correct but the actual answer was 0 as it was not prescribed to start until 16.00hrs. Failed a few others because although I did the maths correctly did not realise that the drug had expired. Silly really. Managed an amber but it has made no difference to my course.

Congratulations! (wish I knew how to do those little yellow faces). Not only did you pass you did it in style. So pleased for you and can't believe your journey is over so quickly. Hope your celebrating tonight. Actually I'm not only pleased I'm also very proud of you. What is next?I have over 60 hours completed so not many more to go. I have 4000 words to write spread over five competences. Yesterday I decided I was just going to go for it and today I am the proud owner of one reasonable attempted competency. Obviously I need to tweak and add or remove but pretty chuffed. Another big step forward. Once again well done and so pleased you started this thread x

September you asked me earlier about my competencies. I had 27 to do each one needed to be around 150 words and referenced plus a 3,000 word essay. Is yours similar? Some of the competencies were a bit wordy and I needed to read them a couple of rereads to work out exactly what they were after.